Why a Booktrail?
1928, 2000s: A breathtaking journey through India from British rule to Independence and beyond;
Beneath an Indian Sky
What you need to know before your trail
1928. In British-ruled India, headstrong Sita’s only destiny is a good marriage. When she meets the Crown Prince, her family’s status seems secured. But royal life is far from simple, and her failure to provide an heir brings her to the brink of losing everything.
2000. When Priya’s marriage ends in heartbreak, she flees home to India and the palace where her grandmother, Sita, once reigned as Queen. Why is Sita so reluctant to accept that her royal status ended with Independence? And who is the mysterious woman who waits patiently at the palace gates day after day? Soon Priya uncovers a secret Sita has kept for years – and which will change the shape of her life forever…
Travel Guide
India
The scenes in the story set in India are rich and evocative. But a gilded cage is still a cage:
She wants to pull off the sari, wear her old but comfortable ghagra and dance in the orchard in the shade o the coconut, mango an guava trees…”
Her former governess is sacked for having left her play in the banana grove and outside in general which royal children like her are not permitted to do.
Even the scenery outside when Sita goes about her day to day life evokes the beauty which passes her by:
..”The gloriously blooming garden, the fruit trees, the pineapple bushes, the fragrant air smelling like a feast”
Mary’s life is quite different:
I can go where ever I want tin town, everyone knows me and looks out for me. It is quite safe”
Sita envies the freedom, the friendliness which is on display at Mary’s house and it’s bittersweet when she has to leave.Here she can run beside the elephants with their kites
But what holds them together and apart – is the panchayat – the political system at the time.
The Mahābhārata
The Mahābhārata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Rāmāyaṇa.
It’s an epic narrative of the Kurukṣetra War and the Kaurava and Pāṇḍava princes. It also discusses the four “goals of life” or puruṣārtha
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
If you love books with a strong sense of location then you have to put Renita on your list of authors not to miss.
This time, she transports you to the opulent palaces on India and the Royal Court but as the saying goes, a gilded cage is still a cage. Sita and Mary and great well developed characters who are both captivating in their own ways and their divergent paths in life are fascinating to read about. When Sita is told she’s not allowed books, well, I was immediately on her side! On a serious note however it was interesting to see how the poor girl and the rich girl met in the middle and how what you wish for might not always be what you want and need.
Their story weaves it magic and I was immersed in this fascinating story. The backdrop of India’s independence was particularly interesting and it was a treat to feel so close to the action that you actually step inside one of the palaces and see life before Independence took place.
Renita has written some wonderful books and this one is right up there with the best of them!
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Beneath an Endless Sky
Destination : India Author/Guide: Michael J Clark Departure Time: 1928, 2000s
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